WH: 'We Urge Citizens to Listen to the Authorities and Follow Directions from the First Responders on Site'

Daniel Halper

September 16, 2013 10:06 AM

An unnamed White House official released this statement on the shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.:

"The President has been briefed several times about the unfolding situation at the Washington Navy Yard by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco and Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromanaco. The President directed his team to stay in touch with our federal partners, including the Navy and FBI, as well as the local officials. We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions from the first responders on site."

UPDATE: The White House pool reporter passes along this correction:

In the statement from a White House official on the situation at the Washington Navy Yard, Alyssa Mastromonaco's name was misspelled. A corrected statement is below:

"The President has been briefed several times about the unfolding situation at the Washington Navy Yard by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco and Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco. The President directed his team to stay in touch with our federal partners, including the Navy and FBI, as well as the local officials. We urge citizens to listen to the authorities and follow directions from the first responders on site."

And here's the Navy's statement:

Several people were injured and there are reports of fatalities in a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard Sept. 16.

Emergency personnel remain on scene and a "shelter in place" order has been issued for Navy Yard personnel.

This release will be updated as new information is confirmed.

The Naval Sea Systems Command's headquarters is the work place for about 3,000 people.

The organization is comprised of command staff, headquarters directorates, affiliated Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and numerous field activities. Together, we engineer, build, buy and maintain ships, submarines and combat systems that meet the Fleet's current and future operational requirements.

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the Navy's five system commands. With a fiscal year budget of nearly $30 billion, NAVSEA accounts for one quarter of the Navy's entire budget. With a force of 60,000 civilian, military and contract support personnel, NAVSEA engineers, builds, buys and maintains the Navy's ships and submarines and their combat systems.